Rail anchor



A. F. FIFIELD RAIL ANCHOR Feb. 3 1.931; Re. 17,952

Original Filed Sept. 16, 1929 Reissued Feb. 3, 1931 UNITED ,STATES PATENT OFFICE ALBERT F. FIFIELD, ST. CATHARINES, ONTARIO, CANADA, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN FORK & HOE

OHIO p COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF RAIL ANCHOR Original No. 1,777,840, dated October 7, 1930, Serial No. 392,868, filed September 16,1929. Application for reissue filed December 12, 1930.

My invention relates to rail anchors. and relates particularly to rail anchors of the general type having a rail base gripping element and a reach bar projected therefrom transversely and beneath the rail base to engage the opposite rail base edge to lock the anchor on the rail. i

This invention has for a general'object the improvement of that type of rail anchor characterized by its being constructed in two interlocking parts of which one may be termed a clamp and the other a clip, the clip making wedging engagement with the clamp to cooperate therewith to lock the anchor on the rail.

An object of my invention is to provide a highly eflicient form of anchor which may be advantageously manufactured in quantities at small cost.

Another object of my invention is to pro vide a two .piece anchor employing a rigid clamp and resilient clip, the clamp being formed from sheet metal yet being very rigid and substantially non-distortable, reliance being substantially entirely had on the resiliency of the clip to provide such yielding as is required during application and use.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved two piece rail anchor of a highly eflicient form. t V Another object f my invention is to provide an improved two piece rail anchor comprising a clamp and clip, the clip being adapted to be removed and another clip of the same kind substituted but of a different size to accommodate rail bases of difi'erent sizes.

Other objects of my invention and the invention itself will become apparent by reference to the following: description of an embodiment of my invention which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a view in sideelevation of my in I proved anchor applied to a rail base shown in section; a

Fig. 2 is an end elevational view of'the rail and attached anchor of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 4-4 oF1g.2;

Serial No. 501,995.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the substantifitlly rigid clamp employed in the said an- 0 or; v

Fig. 6 is a side elevational view of the relatively resilient clip employed in connection with the clamp of Fig. 5 to form the complete rail anchor of the other figures. Referring now to all of the figures of drawmg in all of which like parts are designated by like reference characters I show generally at 1 in Figs. 1 to 4 and in Fig. 5 a relatively rigid clamp made of sheet steel being formed from a single blank to cause it to take the form illustrated in the figures. At 2, I show the relatively resilient clip which is formed from a single length of bar steel, as by successive cutting and forging operations. The clip 2 preferably comprises a reach arm 3 terminating at one end in an up-turnedhook 4 and at the other end in a loop 5, the loop being formed by reversely turning a relatively short arm 6 toward the intermediate portion of the reach arm 3, forming the other arm of the loop. The loop is normally open and adapted to be closed by the converging of the short arm toward the intermediate portion of the long or reach arm.

. The clamp is in the form of a. pierced channel having a rear wall 7 and side walls 8 and 9. The upperend of the clamp is folded at a' substantially acute angle to'the pendant portion extending over and beyond the'side walls 8 and 9 of the channel, whose upper portionsare deflected outwardly and curvilinearly to merge with the top portion ofthe clamp, which is in the form of a pair of spaced longitudinally extending arches 10 and 11, interiorly joined by a depressed longitudi nally extending trough portion 12.

Thus, there is given to the upper part, of the clamp a substantially M-form in transverse sections with an outward and rearward bulging of the curvilinearly formed portions 13, jolning the pendant channel with the upper part of the clamp, the rear wall of the clamp comprising the rear channel wall 7 and the rear end 14 of the joining part 13. is provided with a preferably rectangular aperture 15 extending downwardly from the wall 12 of the said intermediate trough por The lower-,rnost surface of the said for-- wardly deflected upper part of the clamp comprises the parts 10, 11 and 12 forming spaced jaw portions 18, 19 and 20 engageable with the upper surface of a rail base flange A onto which the clamp may be driven as illusa ed in 1 1s t e uppe edge 9I 1 a d 2 0 ese d ieiai; Pa s h clamp, whiclrare upwardly an outwardly extendies ne tiqns f. he eh nel 8 nd fol-min a pair of spaced lower jaw elements engag e able with-the bottom surfaces of the said rail base flange.

Thus, the blank 1 is adapted to be driven ontoa base flange, the ancillary'spaced iaw l ment 2 1 9 an 1 wee n t e oi are a l b e fl n e i h c a y pa ed i -Ws 21am 2 we e e om ec' e t ailbase fl ng s Shown in 'F gaft e ern sia se f a fininga'tapemd ia reei s ada ted' i dly s ur the ail ba e flan be n e sets of jaw v 1 a r l h la p a th d s ias f the] nasal" s. al t t a Slight amm l ft f y eld n ma c mp sh s ma e 'a e si sry to i sur a igh o damp eats th rai as fl nge- ,c p i adap sw be p ora d m h the aperture 1 5 t nder Shelf m n 16 and f which a e en aged by he Sheri ezim fi af the l p, th hfiq e d' wh c s p iestsd' ie emes unt it s 'b ushb mp e egenentr'with th und r u a of the hassb f the. rail b twe i h a t slifllfel snag th obe 5 by itsloil an h f? wilin ks red en sa nifi ie inseam T tie iip' thre s e amma Preferabl b ma after the c1 2 siheeed'riv a anti? e ail w fl g W h tsrips'b it ,e pe ies sets s ii fsl e'vl Isleser b dr he 911 is; n driv enhome by. striking the clip is force p camp essien efrt'he 169D 5 sa e ies while thejh k 4 adyanced to the other side 9 he m l m lit read s Q qn her it Wil'lsaa ebwerdly li itdia ilf new s a m et with the, latera uriece af hsra s fla g B- l, Tberailba e i new ii liflrg pgd 3 h 0 i. jaws oi the damp Whit em e #1 sins flange 23 nd the sh ulde 4 at theme of he elii eas g nsth ateral. s

W n in" .o t iea ts ieaeh we 5 t e i d to take a ess bowed form, being straightened somewhat by the upward pressure of the end 26 of the short arm 6 against its underside, the short arm being supported in reach arm supportingposition, meanwhile, by the shelf elements 16 and 17 and retained in such position by the engagement of the shoulder 4 with the rail base flange.

width ofth 'ap r-ture l5 nd h smei g between t e wa ls Sand '9 O the c amp is Just enough greater than the width of the bar forming the clip, that the clip may be readily inserted through the clamp but, and at the same time are vadapted for'engagement with both sides of the clip to prevent rotational i evemeat r adies e displacement of h 1p- I a Either of the outer lateral surfaces of the clamp wallss or 9 is adapted for engagement by a rail tie shown at 27 to form an abutment for theanehor to prevent longitudinal displacement of the rail relative 'to such tie or other fixed portion of the railroad bed which it abuts.

Having thus described my invention in certain embodiments, I am aware that numerous and extensive departures may be made from the embodiment illustrated and described hereinjbut without departin from the'spirit ofmy invention;

,le izn two piece rail anchor'the combinaa clamp and a clip, saidclip comprising a rearmost resiliently compressible wedgeshaped ortion, widest at its rearend a for'w'a rf 13* extending resilient reach member, said re'ach member terminatin atits forward end in an tip-turned hook to orm a rail flange f'edge surface abutting element, said clamp qoniprising'a pair of jaws adapted to bevdrii en onto and't'o' embra'eethe other rail base" fiangeandhaving a pendant portion of ea -ta nins; the side walls of the channel both plrojeci ted inwardly beneath therail base and t I l adapted for projection through said aperture with its hooked end foremosta'nd shelf means asso'oiatd -wit "channel side walls enga'g'eableiwitht e lower 'surliaoe oithe wedge portio'nofsaid'elip. v rev-apiece rail anchor comprising a generally channel shaped clamp bent inward- 1y proi ide two relatively ang'ularly disposed s awns; the side wallsbul ing' outwardly at the'peint of'juncti'on o the portionsjcilrvilinearly and the edges of the lower part o f said portionsifonning jaws adaptedfor engagement with the bottom surfiace'o f a rail baseflange, the edges of an upperone of said an larly disposed portions cooperating with sai'djaws to form a set of jawsand'enageable with the u per suriiace' of said rail fiase flange, the other angularly disposed'portion being pendant from the first ortioii of said jaws "and adapted for 'disposi ion below a. rail base onto which said other portion by e rear wall being apertured, said olip'l its jaws is driven and a resilient clip interlockingly engageable with said clamp and adapted for deformation to extend it into hooked engagement with an opposite rail base flange, said rail base being compressively gripped by cooperative compressive action of said clip and said clamp.

3. A two piece rail anchor comprising a channel shaped clamp having two portions relatively angularly disposed at an acute angle with the lateral channel walls inwardly disposed, the edges of the walls of one of said portions forming an upper surface of a rail base flange and edges of the channel walls forming a continuation of said jaws being inturned to engage the bottom surface of the rail base flange and angularly merging with the edges of the other channel shaped portion pendantly disposing relatively thereto and a resilient strip comprising a hook at its forward end and a loop at its rearward end, said loop adapted for interlocking engagement with the clamp and adapted to be deformed by a driving operation efl'ecting projection of the clip with its hooked end foremost through the clamp, said hook adapted to be resiliently snapped over the lateral edge of the opposite rail base flange as a result of the resilient distortion of the loop, said clamp comprising a portion resisting distortion of the loop and effecting a storage of energy communicated to the loop by driving therein to resiliently maintain the clip and clamp in grip engagement with the opposite rail base flange.

4:. A two piece rail anchor comprising a trough shape clamp bent intermediate its endsto form opposing rail base flange enveloping jaws and pierced below the jaws, and a resilient clip comprising a portion adapted to be driven into the pierced clamp below the rail base and provided with a tongue having an upturned free end adapted to be snapped from the lateral sides of the clamp below the aperture, and a resilient clip comprising a looped portion and a tongue projecting from an arm thereof having an upturned free end adapted to be projected through the clamp aperture, and to snap said end over the edge of the opposite rail base flange when the clip 1s drlveninto the clamp and the clamp positioned on a rail base flange, said loop being maintained under compressive stress intermediate said inwardlyprojecting tongues and the bottom of the rail base.

7. A two piece rail anchor comprising a clamp vhaving two separate pairs of jaws adapted to be driven ontoa rail base flange, saidpairs of jaws being relatively spaced longitudinally of the rail base, and a pair of substantially parallel sheet metal elements pendantly integrally supported by said clamp below the rail base, each of said ele ments provided with an integrally formed inwardly extending projection, both projections substantially spaced below the rail base, and a resilient clip comprising a resilient loop having long and a short arm, the short arm converging toward an intermediate portion of the long arm, said long arm having an upturned free end, said clip adapted to be pro ected between said pendant sheet metal elements below the rail base and over said inward projections, its free end adapted to be snapped over the edge of the opposite rail base flange when the clip is driven transversely of the rail base, said loop being maintamed under compressive stress exerted upon it by the bottom of the rail base and said pair of lnward projections, upon which a short arm of said loop is seated.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature this 1st day of December, 1930.

ALBERT F. FIFIELD.

over the edge of the opposite rail base flange when the clip is driven into the clamp with the clamp in position on a rail base flange.

5. A two piece rail anchor, compr sing a trough shaped clamp bent intermediate lts ends to form by opposed side edges, opposing rail base clamp receiving jaws, said clamp having an apertured rear wall and a resilient clip comprising a looped portion and a tongue projecting from an arm thereof having an upturned free end adapted to be pro ected through the clamp aperture and to snap sald end over the edge of the opposite rail base flange when the clip is driven into the clamp and the clamp positioned on a rail baseflange.

6. A two piece rail anchor, comprlsmg a l sheet metal trough shaped clamp bent intermediate its ends to form by opposed side edges, opposing pairs of jaws adapted to fit onto a rail base flange received between them, said clamp having an apertured rear wall and inwardly projecting tongues extending 

